SR0886 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0886 LRB102 22312 MST 31449 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Ronald L. "Ron" Paaske of Hillsdale, who passed away on December 3, 2021; and

WHEREAS, Ron Paaske was born in Davenport, Iowa to Alvin and Eleanor (Musal) Paaske on February 22, 1939; he served in the U.S. Army from 1962 to 1964 during the Cuban Missile Crisis; he married Sally Kay Wiesen in Bettendorf, Iowa on January 5, 1963; and

WHEREAS, Ron Paaske worked in real estate for Ruhl and Ruhl from 1970 to 1988; and

WHEREAS, Ron Paaske was also a devoted dairy farmer throughout his life, raising some of the best Brown Swiss dairy cattle in the area; he served as the president of the Iowa State Brown Swiss Association from 1971 to 1972 and was the national director of the Brown Swiss Association from 2003 to 2009; he received the prestigious A.C. Whitie Award in 2006 and received the Herdsman Award 27 times; he traveled to attend state shows in Iowa, Illinois, and Texas, as well as the Southwest National Brown Swiss Show in Texas and the Southeast National Brown Swiss Show in Kentucky; he attended numerous National Brown Swiss Conventions, the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin, the North American Livestock Show in Columbus, Ohio, and the National Cattle Congress in Waterloo, Iowa; he even exported some of his cattle to Brazil, Costa Rica, Columbia, and Ecuador; he hired and mentored many Riverdale and Erie students over the years and taught them a work ethic that would serve them well in life; and

WHEREAS, Ron Paaske was 50-year member of the Masons and was a member of the Mohassan Grotto and the Kaaba Shrine; and

WHEREAS, Ron Paaske was preceded in death by his wife, Sally; his parents; his brother, Herb Paaske; and his sisters-in-law, Corrine, Joyce, Susan, and Sally; and

WHEREAS, Ron Paaske is survived by his daughter, Joni Paaske; his girlfriend and cattle partner, Brenda Besse; his brothers, Frank (Cathy) Paaske, Larry Paaske, and Dennis Paaske; and his Blue Heeler, Maxx; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Ronald L. "Ron" Paaske and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Ron Paaske as an expression of our deepest sympathy.